“When They See Us” and “This Is Us” actor Asante Blackk is set to star with Tiffany Haddish in MGM and Plan B’s upcoming adaptation of “Landscape With Invisible Hand.” Based on National Book Award winner M.T. Anderson’s novel of the same name, Blackk will play Haddish’s son in the pic. The movie, described as
“Made for Love,” the original HBO Max dark comedy starring Cristin Milioti and based on the novel by Alissa Nutting, is getting a Season 2. “’Made for Love’ is funny, dark, and entirely unique,” said Suzanna Makkos, exec VP of original comedy and adult animation at HBO Max. “We are thrilled to be reuniting with
Julius Onah’s new drama “The American Throne” has been given a series development order by Universal Content Productions, a division of Universal Studio Group. The show will be written and directed by the Nigerian American filmmaker, who is known best for producing the film “Luce.” Per the logline, “The American Throne” takes place in a
The National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE) market, which is held annually in Budapest, Hungary, has been postponed to June 2022, and organizers have also ruled out a virtual edition for this year. “In the light of ongoing developments concerning the rise of the Delta Variant of COVID-19 and travel restrictions preventing travel into
The Daytime Emmys aren’t over yet. Three days after awarding some of its top categories during a pre-taped ceremony on CBS, the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has now announced the nominees for the 48th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards Children’s & Animation and Lifestyle categories. The remainder of the year’s Daytime Emmys will
Netflix and CD Projekt Red have unveiled the schedule for WitcherCon, the first-ever virtual event dedicated to The Witcher universe. Hosted by Julia Hardy, the event will consist of two live streams that will both contain exclusive short-form content and production insights. Available on both Twitch and YouTube, the events will stream on July 9
Cavalry Audio, the podcasting division of Oscar nominee Dana Brunetti’s media company, is launching a new series about the social video landscape. “Tok Show With Remi & Connor” will be hosted by influencers Remi Bader and Connor Wood, covering weekly highlights and trends across TikTok with content creators, celebrities and fans. The series premieres June
Trent Reznor’s and Atticus Ross’ dance card with Hollywood filmmakers was apparently not so full as it looked. Halsey just announced that the recently Oscar- and Emmy-winning duo are the producers of her new album, to be titled “If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power.” Halsey made the announcement of her forthcoming album in
Comcast’s pay-TV giant Sky has strengthened its existing procedures against sexual harassment in the wake of a series of scandals that have rocked the British entertainment industry, including multiple misconduct allegations against actor Noel Clarke. Clarke starred in Sky’s “Bulletproof.” The broadcaster stopped Clarke’s involvement across all productions after sexual harassment and bullying allegations emerged
Academy Award nominee Antonio Banderas (“Pain and Glory”) is set to star in Studiocanal’s ”The Monster of Florence,” a six-hour limited series based on The New York Times bestseller “The Monster Of Florence: A True Story” by Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi. “The Monster of Florence” relates the extraordinary real life investigation carried out by American
In an exclusive clip from “30 Days With: Bretman Rock,” the titular digital celebrity opens up about seeking to connect with his dad, who died in 2019, by venturing into the Hawaiian jungle. “Growing up in the Philippines, I wanted to be so much like my dad,” he says. “He taught me simple survival stuff.
YouTube TV is finally rolling out 5.1 Dolby surround sound audio support — which has been among users’ biggest requests — and is launching a premium “4K Plus” service tier. The 4K Plus add-on package, in addition to providing the option watch select content in 4K, also lets subscribers download shows from their DVR to
As Variety’s recent cover star H.E.R. announced during Sunday night’s BET Awards, the artist’s Lights On Festival will return to California’s Bay Area in September. The lineup features Erykah Badu, Bryson Tiller, Ari Lennox, Ty Dolla $ign, Keyshia Cole, and more, along with a special H.E.R. & Friends performance with some unnamed special guests. The full lineup appears below.
Variety has named its 10 Comics to Watch for 2021. This year’s honorees will be profiled in the July 27 Comedy issue of Variety and take part in a virtual panel at this year’s Just For Laughs Festival. Traditionally held every year in Montréal, the festival will go digital this year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
YouTube has clinched its first naming-rights deal. The 6,000-seat performance venue at the Hollywood Park sports and entertainment complex in Inglewood, Calif., will be called “YouTube Theater.” The theater is slated to open this summer with its first events (yet to be announced) and has booked several music acts through early 2022. The Google-owned video
The Hollywood Legion Theater drive-in has announced an important upgrade for its “Summer of Celluloid” drive-in series, adding 35mm projectors for this year’s screenings. With the new addition, the Hollywood Legion is now the only drive-in on the west coast to present movies in 35mm. “Analog 35mm film projection at an outdoor cinema is a
Project Angel Food’s upcoming telethon, “Lead With Love 2021,” will include appearances by “Batwoman” star Javicia Leslie, Jamie Lee Curtis, Maria Shriver and Matt Bomer. The television event will also include performances by LeAnn Rimes, Andy Grammer, Gloria Estefan, Jewel, Phillip Phillips, Vanessa Williams and “Cruel Summer” star Olivia Holt. Started in 1989 to help
Personal demons, strict diets, incredible sacrifices, and almost unachievable ideals shape the daily life of bodybuilders. Months of intense preparation lead to a few moments on stage where a handful of judges will decide their fate. Some call it a sport, a lifestyle, a vanity; to others, bodybuilding is a religion. All agree, though, that
“Havoc,” an action thriller starring Tom Hardy and Forest Whitaker, has rounded out its cast. In addition to the previously announced Hardy and Whitaker, the Netflix movie will also feature Timothy Olyphant, “Training Day” and “The Umbrella Academy” actor Justin Cornwell, star of the upcoming Edgar Wright horror film “Last Night in Soho” Jessie Mei
Vanessa Kirby has joined the cast of “The Son,” Florian Zeller’s follow up to his Oscar-winning feature debut “The Father,” Variety has learned. Kirby, who was Oscar-nominated for “Pieces of a Woman,” will star in the film opposite Laura Dern and Hugh Jackman. As with “The Father,” “The Son” was adapted by Zeller and Christopher
A group of French insurers have set up a clause to protect film productions in case of sexual harassment incidents during filming. Leading French insurance companies MAIF and AREAS have created the new clause for contracts with the support of the National Film Board (CNC), following negotiations spearheaded by Hugo Rubini, a high-profile insurance broker
SKILLS REVIEW The British Film Institute (BFI), in collaboration with skills body ScreenSkills and other industry bodies, has launched a strategic review designed to develop long-term solutions to tackle the current and emerging skills needs of the screen industries. The review will address the issues of improving inclusion of people from underrepresented groups, and the
Ask any studio executive who has ever worked with him: Mel Brooks is nothing if not tenacious in business. The comedy legend, who turns 95 Monday, is known to be relentless in pursuit of the creative freedom and resources required to deliver his unique brand of humor. He’s also proven to be a tireless campaigner
“F9” provided a much-needed jolt to the domestic box office. The latest entry in Universal’s high-octane “Fast & Furious” saga collected $70 million in its opening weekend, the best start at the U.S. box office since 2019’s holiday release of “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.” The arrival of “F9” is the latest big-screen offering
Maybe you’ve been there: You’re trying to download a movie or show to Netflix’s app before a flight — but you don’t get the whole thing before your plane takes off into the wild blue yonder, so you can’t watch any of it. Netflix has now addressed this first-world problem: On Monday (June 28) the
NBC’s “Today” has long been part of many an American morning ritual. Starting today, however, fans of the program can truly interact with a full version of it at almost any time they want. NBC News is launching its venerable A.M. franchise in podcast form, meaning that people who may want to know what it
Amid the celebrations and retrospectives when the Thessaloniki Film Festival hosted its 60th edition in 2019, the organizers unveiled a new program, Meet the Future, designed to look ahead to the next generation of emerging film talents set to make waves in the host nation, the region, and beyond. For its first edition, Meet the
Sony Music Australia staff have spoken out about the company’s “nightmarish and toxic” culture following CEO Denis Handlin’s abrupt exit last week, with some even exploring legal action. Until last week, Handlin was Sony Music’s longest-serving employee, having been with the label for over 50 years. His departure was unexpectedly announced in a company-wide memo
After years of criticism over a lack of female and diverse representation in its membership and the Grammy Awards, the Recording Academy is continuing its efforts to expand its voting body by extending invitations to 2,710 established music professionals “from wide-ranging backgrounds, genres and disciplines,” according to the announcement. It states that the 2021 class
The surprisingly complex world of puppy politics becomes the unlikely breeding ground for a new satire produced by Hungary’s Other Films and Romanian production powerhouse microFILM, the companies announced this week during the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival. “Whose Dog Am I?” is a docu-comedy essay about politics in a world where citizens are dogs, politicians are